The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Tuesday, May 23, 2000,
Chandigarh, India

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Fiji President softens stand
Refuses to guarantee PM’s continuation

SUVA, May 22 (AP) — Fiji’s President tried to draw armed rebels occupying Parliament closer to peaceful surrender today, saying the current government might be replaced even if the coup attempt fails.

President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara’s comments seemed aimed at presenting a conciliatory approach to ethnic Fijian rebels, who have been holding the Indian-dominated government hostage since storming Parliament on Friday.

Ratu Mara said he would hold talks with the government once the coup attempt ends, but he refused to guarantee that a failure of the coup would automatically bring back the democratically elected government.

The comments offered the rebels possibility of achieving a major goal of their uprising: the ousting of the government. Ratu Mara sent a letter to coup leader George Speight last night promising to address concerns of ethnic Fijians, pledging that “the position of the indigenous community will be protected and enhanced.”

The President said he had a plan to end the standoff which would be presented tomorrow to Fiji’s influential Great Council of Chiefs, an association of tribal leaders.

Much will depend on the tribal meeting tomorrow. Speight said today he would “retire” if the council does not back his coup attempt.

In a sign today of rising tension inside Parliament, rebels dragged elected Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry out of Parliament and put a gun to his head, Speight deputy Ratu Timoci Silatolu was quoted as saying by local website Fijilive.com.

Police tightened security around Suva’s parliament complex today.

Public backing for the rebels has been scant. Speight received his first public statement of support from the nationalist Taukei Movement and main opposition party yesterday, only to have movement leader Apisai Tora disassociate himself from the coup the next day.

Speight, accompanied by a police escort, ventured out of parliament today morning to assess the damage wreaked on Suva by rioting on Friday that followed the coup attempt.

AFP adds: Fiji’s capital came to standstill as troops took up key positions and large crowds gathered in support of the coup attempt by indigenous Fijians linked to the military.

There were few signs that Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and some 35 legislators, held hostage by gunmen who stormed the parliament building on Friday, were likely to be released any time soon.

Former Fijian Prime Minister and army strongman Sitiveni Rabuka added to the confusion today when he said he “sympathised” with the gunmen and quit as chief mediator between the rebels and President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara.

“I sympathise with your cause. I do not agree with your methods,” Rabuka told state-owned Fiji TV, referring to the gunmen.

Rabuka, who led two coups in 1987, was defeated by Chaudhry in elections a year ago. He has continued to assert strong political influence based on his popularity as an indigenous leader.

His comments further complicated the already muddy situation in Fiji, with doubts emerging over who is leading the coup and where the security forces’ allegiances really lie.

But it is now clear the coup is being led by hardcore elements of a special forces army group called the Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit (CRWU), which Rabuka has said trained on his property earlier this year.

Rabuka also revealed the CRWU unit is not taking orders from nominal coup leader George Speight.

“They are listening to the old man, he is their leader,” he said.

The “old man” is a military term for the unit’s commander, a currently unknown officer. It is also unclear whether the unit’s commander is acting alone or under orders.

Meanwhile Speight admitted today that Prime Minister Chaudhry had been beaten up.

He told Melbourne radio station 3AW a group of indigenous Fijians were able to “get to” Chaudhry for a short time.

“Our perimeters were breached for a short period of time, I think it was last night or the night before, and they were able to get to him, but we were able to suppress that group and everything’s back to normal again,” he said.

When asked why the Prime Minister was assaulted, Speight said there was a rising tide of resentment against the Indian-led government, and particularly the appointment of Chaudhry’s son to a senior political post.

“It would be a brave man or woman indeed who dared to cross the path of the great council of chiefs,” said Professor Brij Lal of the Australian National University.